So you're saying that Apple's use of cheap labor in China via Foxconn is not a political issue?

While it may be a political target by the people you mentioned Apple does not use Foxconn to manufacturer their products because it's a political issue, they use it because it substantially reduces the cost of their products at a given quality level.

This bot has been removed from circulation due to a malfunctioning morality chip.

[...] "Daisey lied to me and 'This American Life' producer Brian Reed during the fact checking we did on the story, before it was broadcast," Glass wrote in a statement. "That doesn't excuse the fact that we never should've put this on the air. In the end, it was our mistake." [...]

I get where a lot of you are coming from but there is plenty paths to criticize Mike Daisey. Going on about his weight is lazy and uninspired. And it screams of the suggestion that you don't really know the details, nor care to.

C'mon. We're better than that.

I think it's been interesting to see that overlapping segment of the This American Life listener/Apple user Venn diagram become so conflicted. What a relief this outcome must be.

What a lying douchebag! I'd never even heard of that loser before, and I hope not to hear anything about him in the future either.

I have a great idea for his next act. I suggest that he commits suicide live during his show, in order to bring attention to the alleged workers suicide at Foxconn. I would tune in for that show and that is a worthy cause that I would consider financially supporting.

I listened to the retraction of his show from This American Life. He is not apologetic and infact stands behind his work as is, these are his words not mine, and He refused to say he Lied which he did every time he went on the air with other news services and told them everything in his monologue was true.

When asked on This american life repeatedly if he lied about specific things his answer was always
"well I wouldn't put it that way" Never once did he admit he outright LIED. He even went on to say "all i can tell you is that i stand by what i told you that all of these things happened literally" He is a bald faced liar and should not be given any recognition and any legitimacy in any news outlet or even theater.

So you're saying that Apple's use of cheap labor in China via Foxconn is not a political issue? I beg to differ but it seems that many people bashing on Apple 'conveniently' forget that Apple is among among a vast multitude of corporations that use use labor in China and other developing countries. Also, it's not just computer technology; clothes, shoes, food, appliances, and so forth. Apple has indeed a political target for people like Daisey and Michael Moore if you read his website.

Of course it's political, as is spitting on the sidewalk in some places. That's no excuse for using the issue as a political football, as you did.

It's true that some people "conveniently" forget that Apple has to fight on the same turf as its competitors. I'm not one of them.

Again with the Michael Moore false equivalency! Cool it!

You've lost the opportunity to be taken seriously by letting your political bias get in front of the issue. I'm a liberal, and I'm also uncatagorically in Apple's corner on this one. Now, in the interests of fair disclosure, I'm also heavily invested (for my economic strata) in Apple. But there's zero doubt in my mind that Apple is being used as a scapegoat for much larger more systemic problems, and perhaps beyond that I strongly suspect that there are deep pockets egging on this attack behind the scenes. Apple has an enormous number of extremely powerful enemies and frightened competitors.

As for Mr Daisey. My issue with his monologue is that he marketed it as truth and not he's saying no, it is 'art' so not all the facts are facts at all. Plus he played games like saying he didn't remember the name of his translator or the person's number (because he didn't want anyone talking to her about what happened). When called out on the lies he pulls this "I'm not a journalist" excuse when he painted this as truth and never once claimed it was merely 'based on truth and recent rumors in the press etc'

And then there's the fact that he was stupid enough to think he would get away with this. That no one would find his translator or that she wouldn't find out what he was saying or would just shrug it off. It's embarrassing that this man, who some were treating as some kind of workers rights messiah, could be that dumb. it's up there with Gizmodo admitting that they paid money for a stolen prototype right on their blog rather than posting the info and claiming a source sent it to them so they could use shield laws.

hat's probably OK to keep on since Daisey seems to cling to the lies when he says his translator doesn't remember what he does. I guess calling her a liar would be too ironic!

Now we know why he wasn't using filmed moments with the folks he talked to. it would have been a much more powerful moment to see a clip of the man with the mangled hand talking about what happened. And seeing him see that finished iPad.

Yep, it is all about the money... Daisey was making $$$$$$ from this and "This American Life" was making $$$$$$$$$$ from this. (Public Radio and Ira Glass are for PROFIT - maybe not actual dollars for these two but certainly reputation and success in fund raising!!!)

So, profit wins over truth - every time! I listened to the "retraction" this weekend. Ira and company did give Daisey opportunity for retraction and asked "tough" questions AND then spent 20 minutes whining that they had been used. AND THEN spent 20 minutes trying to show how "most" of Daisey's monolog was "substantially correct."

They were squirming like a worm on a hook and like most over-the-hill organizations applying MAJOR spin doctor techniques to make it look "as good as possible." Desperate damage control!!!

The subtext:
"See how honest we are. We were USED and by the way we weren't that dishonest. We found a way to look BIG by attacking the most successful company on the planet. And look how we were able to damage it. Aren't we important?" ??!??!

Of course it's political, as is spitting on the sidewalk in some places. That's no excuse for using the issue as a political football, as you did.

It's true that some people "conveniently" forget that Apple has to fight on the same turf as its competitors. I'm not one of them.

Again with the Michael Moore false equivalency! Cool it!

You've lost the opportunity to be taken seriously by letting your political bias get in front of the issue. I'm a liberal, and I'm also uncatagorically in Apple's corner on this one. Now, in the interests of fair disclosure, I'm also heavily invested (for my economic strata) in Apple. But there's zero doubt in my mind that Apple is being used as a scapegoat for much larger more systemic problems, and perhaps beyond that I strongly suspect that there are deep pockets egging on this attack behind the scenes. Apple has an enormous number of extremely powerful enemies and frightened competitors.

Why do you keep talking about Michael Moore and politics? The people you reply to aren't mentioning anything about politics.

Saying I think Daisey and Moore have a lot in common and are both insincere, lying idiots is in no way a political statement. As far as I know neither are politicians or claim to represent a political party. Why do you insist on trying to make it political?

If they are doing it because of Daisey's words then they were duped fools but I wouldn't lump all protestors into that same pile. I'm sure there are some that are noble in their posture even if you and I don't agree with their message.

This bot has been removed from circulation due to a malfunctioning morality chip.

It is the New York Times that is directly connected to this story. It was the New York Times that gave the proven liar, Daisy, a platform, helping the liar to spread their lies. It is the New York Times that seems to have an agenda against Apple, with their BS stories. No wonder Apple recently dissed the New York Times by blacklisting them for a certain event. Screw the New York Times. Don't deflect away from the truth by mentioning something that has nothing to do with this topic.

It is the leftist media and liberal douchebag activists who are attacking Apple and spreading lies.

Wouldn't you just jump for joy if Fox went away and everything went back to the way it used to be, with all the major networks sucking liberal leftist a-hole and apologizing for the socialists once again?

It is the New York Times that is directly connected to this story. It was the New York Times that gave the proven liar, Daisy, a platform, helping the liar to spread their lies. It is the New York Times that seems to have an agenda against Apple, with their BS stories. No wonder Apple recently dissed the New York Times by blacklisting them for a certain event. Screw the New York Times. Don't deflect away from the truth by mentioning something that has nothing to do with this topic.

It is the leftist media and liberal douchebag activists who are attacking Apple and spreading lies.

He mentions Fox News, like its some sort of declaration he should be lauded for, like what, we're in some asshat college lecture room and HE just figured out how to factor PI?

CASE STUDY!! FOX NEWS!!!

You are 100% correct, it IS liberal douchebag activists, like this jackass Daisey, like Greenpeace, The NY Times, et.al., and then some really WELL informed reader like this comes along to trumpet his opinions on Fox News (which has as much to do with this story about Apple as the Pope's Ballsack).

If they are doing it because of Daisey's words then they were duped fools but I wouldn't lump all protestors into that same pile. I'm sure there are some that are noble in their posture even if you and I don't agree with their message.

I don't think there is any noble in their posture. Stupid, probably. Noble, no.

I don't see why Apple needs to bow to them. Why Apple needs to do monthly update.
Apple should not bow to these evil people.

I don't think we've seen a clearer case of libel in a long, long time. Purposefully misrepresented information and presented it as fact that has hurt Apple financially. No wonder the people around him are panicking, they know a giant monetary settlement is coming.

Fortunately, The 1st Amendment of the US Constitution protects Daisey, and others like him, even when I don't like it. In the US, to win a libel suit, you need to prove damages. You state "as fact that has hurt Apple financially". So tell us just how Apple is going to prove that. They seem to be doing quite well financially.

Why do you keep talking about Michael Moore and politics? The people you reply to aren't mentioning anything about politics.

Saying I think Daisey and Moore have a lot in common and are both insincere, lying idiots is in no way a political statement. As far as I know neither are politicians or claim to represent a political party. Why do you insist on trying to make it political?

I'm the one who's trying to make it political?! ROFLMAO! You DO know how to read, don't you? Then I suggest you follow the conversation back through the various posts to its beginning. If you can't figure it out from there, then I doubt that anything I could say would serve to enlighten you.

Mike Daisey and Michael Moore are as different as night and day, because Michael Moore is all about seeking out the lies of others while Mike Daisey is all about lying to support his own particular bias.

It was obvious from the beginning that Mike Daisey's show was at best disingenuous - for example even when challenged over the suicide figures (below the national average, and inflated for one year because of Foxconn's one-off compensation package to the families of those who suicided), his self-enriching rationalisations were transparent.

And even now that his dishonesty has been revealed for all to see, he still refuses to apologise or acknowledge it, except to say it's entertainment not journalism (patently dishonest - he does present his lies as fact).

How long ago is it that a revelation like this would have meant the instant collapse of a career, and tears and apologies for misleading the American public? Now it's so much the norm in every day news and politics that we hardly blink, and wonder what the fuss is about. How long will it be before Mike Daisey has his own syndicated show out of this? He's fulfilled all of the requirements.

Apple has refused to comment on the controversy surrounding the monologue. CEO Tim Cook did, however, dismiss the show last February at an annual shareholder meeting. At the time, Cook reassured investors that Apple has "the highest standards" for worker safety and environmental friendliness.

"I don't need to see a play. I know Steve Jobs," he said.

Also known as not feeding a troll. After all, they live for attention.

He mentions Fox News, like its some sort of declaration he should be lauded for, like what, we're in some asshat college lecture room and HE just figured out how to factor PI?

CASE STUDY!! FOX NEWS!!!

You are 100% correct, it IS liberal douchebag activists, like this jackass Daisey, like Greenpeace, The NY Times, et.al., and then some really WELL informed reader like this comes along to trumpet his opinions on Fox News (which has as much to do with this story about Apple as the Pope's Ballsack).

Lets just agree that there exists bad and good journalism on both sides of the political spectrum. Neither side can really claim the higher ground.

When people sense they're becoming irrelevant they do irrelevant things. This is not new. A Daisy chain of similar sensational journalism can be traced back to colonial times. Daisy simply traded his perceived credibility for short term notoriety in the hope that it will get him noticed. Attacking Apple is just the slime du jour that comes out of the media.

Credibility is the lifeblood of journalism. When you loose it it's game over. The NYT knows this so I'm surprised they published these allegations without verification.

When people sense they're becoming irrelevant they do irrelevant things. This is not new. A Daisy chain of similar sensational journalism can be traced back to colonial times. Daisy simply traded his perceived credibility for short term notoriety in the hope that it will get him noticed. Attacking Apple is just the slime du jour that comes out of the media.

Credibility is the lifeblood of journalism. When you loose it it's game over. The NYT knows this so I'm surprised they published these allegations without verification.

Partially agreed, as to "it's old as the Pyramids". Partially disagreed, as to "When you loose it it's game over."

Bad journalism sent the USA in a war against Spain in 1898 and then a few decades later in a war against Germany in 1915 (Lusitania, actually, _was_ an armed weaponry-transport...)
As far as I know, journalism hasn't become better. Fox News even makes money.

Anyone remember that Renault spying brouhaha in France, how heads rolled?.
And How French government went full charge loaded blaming China?

Why you can lie against a comapny like Apple or any other similar in the USA and nothing happens to you?

: Something is wrong.

Why sue him? He's done the company an INCREDIBLE service. Because of this, EVERY criticism of Apple's Chinese manufacturing practices will be suspect and tainted with incredulity. If anything, they should (quietly) thank him for a job well done.

The stock is over $600, The New iPad is selling faster than any Apple product in history, and they're announcing a major financial...something this morning. What damage did this story actually do?